United Airlines Removes NFL Hall Of Famer Terrell Davis Off ‘No Fly List’ After Troubling Incident On Flight
Attorneys for Davis still plan on filing lawsuit for mishap that found the former player in handcuffs
NFL Hall of Famer Terrell Davis discovered he was on United Airlines’ No Fly List after being removed from a flight last month when he attempted to get the attention of a flight attendant.
The airline issued a statement saying the ban had been rescinded.
Davis posted a letter he received from United Airlines to his social media account on July 30 that informed him of the ban due to the incident on July 13. While on a flight from Denver to Orange County, California, Davis claimed he attempted to gain the attention of a male flight attendant. He explained that his son had asked for a cup of ice and either the attendant didn’t hear him or he ignored his son. When Davis tried to get the flight attendant’s attention by tapping him, the airline employee blurted out, “Don’t hit me.” The interaction resulted in Davis being handcuffed by FBI agents and led off the plane when the flight landed.
Davis was released and cleared of any wrongdoing. United Airlines issued an apology and confirmed the employee was taken off duty.
Davis was informed by the carrier that he was not “permitted to fly on United Airlines,” although it was determined that he was not in the wrong.
“Adding insult to injury, @united not only had me removed from their flight in handcuffs but placed me on their No Fly List after it was determined I did nothing wrong and was released. While my family and I continue to have difficult conversations with our children, I will continue to fight for what is right for all passengers of @united. Please contact @sgghlaw for any inquires, and please reshare this post.”
CNN reported that the airline sent the letter to Davisthe day after the incident, stating that the ban was rescinded and that Davis’ team was informed the following day. It was reported that the flight attendant is no longer employed by United Airlines.
Parker Stinar, Davis’ attorney, said United Airlines’ claim of informing him that the ban was rescinded “is blatantly false,” they were only notified after Davis posted the letter online.
“Engaging in tactics in an attempt to discredit the timeline of events is worrisome, to say the least,” Stinar said.
Stinar stated that there would be a lawsuit filed against the airline carrier.
Judge Paige Reese Whitaker has denied the motion made by Thug's attorney to allow the Atlanta recording artist to be released on bond.
The new judge in the Young Thug RICO case has ruled on the rapper’s request to be released on bond while on trial.
According to Courthouse News Service, Judge Paige Reese Whitaker has denied the motion made by Young Thug’s attorney, Brian Steel, to allow the Atlanta recording artist to be released on bond. She also rejected Young Thug and his defendants’ motion for a mistrial based on how the former judge of the case, Chief Judge Ural Glanville, handled a secret, ex-parte meeting with prosecutors and a state’s witness.
“I am not going to reconsider any bond issues that have already been considered and ruled upon by another court absent legitimate changed circumstances,” Steele was told on July 30. Whitaker also denied bond for Young Thug’s associates, Deamonte Kendrick and Marquavius Huey.
The trial is now in its 19th month, extending the longest criminal trial in Georgia history.
“So that the record is clear, the basis for the recusal of Judge Glanville was not that he was biased, was not that the ex-parte itself was improper,” Whitaker said. “It was that Judge Glanville engaged in an exposition on the facts in making his rulings on the motion to recuse.”
Whitaker has yet to respond to Young Thug’s request to have lead prosecutors Chief Deputy District Attorney Adriane Love and Deputy District Attorney Simone Hylton disqualified from the trial based on the ex-parte meeting that took place between Judge Glanville, prosecutors, and one of the witnesses, Kenneth Copeland, “Lil Woody.” She said she would not rule on the motion until she could review the ex-parte meeting transcript. After doing so, she can determine if the prosecutors’ actions were coercive.
Young Thug is on trial after the state brought a 65-count indictment in May 2022 containing 191 “overt acts” while participating in alleged gang activities through YSL, known in the streets as “Young Slime Life.” Young Thug states that YSL stands for Young Stoner Records, and his associates are not gang members.
Presidential Candidate Kamala Harris Will Head To Philly With Her VP-Select
Harris and her VP pick will travel to six other locations.
Originally published on Reuters
Vice President Kamala Harris will hold her first rally with her new vice presidential nominee on Tuesday Aug. 6 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, launching a four-day battleground tour that includes Michigan and Arizona, the campaign said.
The location of the first stop suggests Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has moved to the top of a short list of running mates, and that the Harris campaign had decided the state that Democrats won back from Republicans in 2020 is a must-win once again.
After Philadelphia, Harris and her vice presidential pick will travel to six other locations including western Wisconsin, Detroit, and Las Vegas, the campaign said in a statement late Tuesday night, adding a “strong reminder” that Harris has “made no decision on a running mate.”
The high-stakes decision on who will run with Harris has taken center stage since she became the Democratic frontrunner for the Nov. 5 election when U.S. President Joe Biden ended his White House bid just over a week ago.
Harris is expected to announce the decision as soon as Monday, ahead of Tuesday’s event, the sources said.
The short list of candidates under consideration include Shapiro, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, U.S. Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, and Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg.
If Shapiro is the pick, the Harris campaign is likely counting on the popular, 51-year-old governor to help win the state in November.
Shapiro’s stock among Democrats rose after he swamped his Republican opponent for governor, Doug Mastriano, winning over 56 percent of the vote in a state known for tight elections.
Shapiro would also become the second Jewish nominee for vice president on a major ticket in U.S. history, following Joe Lieberman’s failed 2000 bid with Al Gore.
A handful of U.S. states, often called battlegrounds, have decided the presidential election in recent years, including Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
‘Freedom Hair’ Movie To Premiere At Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival
Freedom hair will get a first look at the film festival, with its theatrical release beginning Aug. 30.
MPI Original Films’ Freedom Hair, an independent movie directed by Dianne Houston, will premiere at the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival on Aug. 2.
As for its debut, the film festival will host attendees for a first look on its opening day. In its pre-selection, Freedom Hair, detailing the life of Melony Armstrong, was deemed one of the five best films of the year.
Freedom Hair is a testimony to a mother’s strength and dedication to create a life of her own. The movie details the life of Armstrong, a woman who took on the Mississippi government to establish professional hair braiding in the state. While working at a domestic violence shelter, she launched her own natural hair braiding business so that she and others could become financially empowered.
While depicting Armstrong’s struggles with a cosmetology cartel and the state of Mississippi, the film also touches on social issues prevalent today. The film stars UK actress Simona Brown, known for her role in Netflix’s Behind Her Eyes, alongside Jeremie Harris and Sophia Bush in supporting roles. The real-life Armstrong will serve as a producer.
As for its writer-director, Houston’s previous works include City of Angels, Soul Food, and Michael Jackson: Searching for Neverland. Her first feature, the 1995 short film Tuesday Morning Ride, made her the first and only African American woman to earn an Academy Award nomination for any directing category. Her depiction of Armstrong’s story further reflects the achievement of Black women.
Armstrong’s perseverance also led her to create the first licensed braiding salon in Mississippi. Moreover, her story inspires Black women entrepreneurs to develop new avenues for their dreams.
“I feel like a way of passage for people, not only to be able to wear their hair natural and loced and feel good about it but (… also) enter into this industry and open a similar business,” said Armstrong in a 2020 interview with the Daily Journal. “I hope my legacy would be that I pursued what was in my heart, I persisted.
Freedom Hair will have its theatrical run starting Aug. 30. Film distributor Vertical will release the feature nationwide. Watch the official trailer below.
Baltimore Health Commissioner’s Termination Leaves City Council Scrambling For Solutions To Critical Health Issues
Baltimore City officials say Ihuoma Emenuga's termination during discussions on the city's state of health has caused significant changes.
Baltimore City Council members are concerned that ex-Health Commissioner Ihuoma Emenuga’s termination for alleged wage theft comes when issues regarding the health and well-being of Baltimore residents are critical.
When Emenuga was appointed as health commissioner in January, she was selected to play a crucial role in moving Baltimore into a healthier and more equitable city, boasting credentials that include roles as a medical director for the Baltimore City Health Department’s Youth Wellness and Community Health Division, managing partner at Vie Health, and chief medical officer at Park West Health System and Family Health Centers of Baltimore.
Forms filed in May to the Baltimore City Board of Ethics stated the University of Maryland College Park alumna is the sole owner of Vie Health in Clarksville.
Councilman John Bullock, a member of the Health, Environment and Technology Committee, is hoping a permanent replacement is in the works. Emenuga’s departure took place during discussions focused on serious issues regarding school clinics and Baltimore’s overdose rate from opioids. In 2021, the Baltimore City Health Department reported 1,079 deaths related to drug and alcohol intoxication; 973 were linked to Fentanyl.
Councilman and public safety committee leader Mark Conway’s concerns aligned with Bullock’s, recently describing the deaths and growing number of overdoses as “completely unacceptable,” according to The New York Times. Conway stated that stability in the department and addressing health department issues will rely heavily on senior leadership.
Although additional employment is permitted according to the city’s administrative policy manual, employment must not violate city rules or policies. Under Emenuga’s contract, she can be terminated for breach of contract, city policy, or other circumstances. No disciplinary action has been reported to date.
City officials confirmed that Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Simone Johnson will temporarily fill in as interim health commissioner as the city conducts a nationwide search to replace Emenuga.
LP O’Brien Leads The Charge For Inclusion In The Mocktail Industry
O’Brien became the co-owner of Siponey Spritz Co. in 2023, in addition to owning her own company, LP Drinks, which focuses on creating safe, diverse and inclusive spaces that also promote wellness and balance within the hospitality industry
As BLACK ENTERPRISE previously reported, Lauren Paylor “LP” O’Brien used her big win as the inaugural champion of Netflix’s Drink Masters. In the show, mixologists competed to win $100,000 and the title of Drink Masters Champion to springboard her career.
According to a press release, O’Brien is also celebrating one year of sobriety and regularly partners with Disney, Food and Wine, and American Express on curated mocktails for events.
The winner of Netflix’s “Drink Masters” wants the cocktail industry to be more inclusive. LP O’Brien is part of a group crafting opportunities for women and people of color. Find out why she and others think mixology needs a diverse celebrity presence. https://t.co/TcrVJKS5Icpic.twitter.com/JewxvV27ru
As Carol Boyd, the founding director of the University of Michigan’s Center for the Study of Drugs, Alcohol, Smoking, and Health, told CNN in May via email: “Questioning one’s relationship with alcohol is a very healthy trend, we know that moderate alcohol consumption has health risks, and risk increases as alcohol consumption increases,” Boyd said.
O’Brien described some reasons for her staunch advocacy for the low and no alcohol-by-volume market and those who prefer to remain sober in social settings in a June interview with Beverage Wholesaler.
“I’m also a huge advocate for the low and no ABV market. I’m a sober bartender, and I think that any bartender who can make a delicious non-alcoholic beverage that isn’t lemonade provides an elevated service. It’s not about the cocktail — it’s about the experience. There are people who don’t drink and we need to respect that and make them feel just as included.” O’Brien told the outlet.
According to Full Pour, O’Brien became the co-owner of Siponey Spritz Co. in 2023, in addition to owning her own company, LP Drinks, which focuses on creating safe, diverse, and inclusive spaces that promote wellness and balance within the hospitality industry.
“It’s always been really important to me to figure out the ways in which I can take care of myself, but more importantly, the ways I can take those things that have worked for me and share them with others. I think simply put, the most important thing is how can I live life with purpose, with meaning, and move in a way that allows me to be fully present in everything that I do?” O’Brien said.
O’Brien continued, “And I think when you get to that point where, first of all, you love what you do, and you found a way to have it truly aligned with what your missions and values are, then moving with intention and moving with purpose just makes it that much more fruitful.”
O’Brien told Beverage Wholesaler that her propensity to bet on herself and, in the process, change what people think about non-alcoholic drinks has propelled her to higher ground in the hospitality and mocktail industry.
“I’ve grown so much, mostly because I think I’ve learned to bet on myself. There was a point where I was so caught up in the noise around me that I lost focus on what was most important, and to me, that’s ensuring that I’m in a position where I acknowledge I have an opportunity to change the way people think about drinks.” O’Brien said.
O’Brien also connected her time on the Netflix show to one of her current projects.
“I have a pop-up that’s an extension of Ultimate Drink Masters. I’m an Afro-Puerto-Rican, so on episode two of the show, I made a topical beverage that represented the Bronx and Bodegas. And now, I created this fun, lively and interactive pop-up where I can see people’s smiles and their enjoyment when they drink and eat. There’s something so magical about seeing other people enjoy what you’ve created.”
However, the journey has not been all positive for O’Brien, as she recently detailed some of the barriers she has faced as a Black woman in the non-alcoholic and hospitality spaces to Forbes Magazine. O’Brien, however, has determined to go beyond those limits and define success for herself.
“The unfortunate truth is that sometimes people see a product, and there are these biases that are within them, that associate a product by a Black person as being less than. When we soar, we excel and just keep doing what we do unapologetically.” O’Brien told Forbes.
O’Brien continued, “It really does allow those individuals to check that bias and acknowledge that we are just as if not more talented. That product, at the end of the day, that we’re able to curate and create has a story, has meaning, has emotion, and passion. We have a responsibility to continue to open doors by just being who we are and nothing other than that.”
Summer is upon us, which means it’s time to charge our melanin on the beaches and in parks, stretched out with a great summer read. Below you’ll find 15 of the hottest books for the season by black authors (in alphabetical order).
15 Summer Reads by Black Authors
American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson
Author Lauren Wilkinson, a New York native, debuted with her page-turning novel American Spy, which was named “one of the best books in 2019 so far” by Time.
The espionage thriller, which has been inspired by real life events, takes us back to 1986 with a black female FBI intelligence officer. This thriller is full of drama and romance—a no-brainer for a summer read.
Black Enough: Stories of Being Young and Black in America (multiple contributors)
This 2019 YA fiction book features an intriguing compilation of short stories from some of today’s top black authors in the Young Adult genre, providing a glimpse of what it means to be young and black in America.
Contributors: Justina Ireland, Varian Johnson, Rita Williams-Garcia, Dhonielle Clayton, Kekla Magoon. Leah Henderson, Tochi Onyebuchi, Jason Reynolds. Nic Stone, Liara Tamani, Renée Watson,Tracey Baptiste, Coe Booth, Brandy Colbert, Jay Coles, Ibi Zoboi and Lamar Giles.
Black Girls Must Die Exhausted by Jayne Allen
Author Jayne Allen, from Detroit, is best known as the lady that “smiles widely, laughs loudly and loves to tell stories that stick to your bones.” Black Girls Must Die Exhausted is one of those stories. Allen, however, prefers to call her style “chocolate chick lit with a conscious.”
This modern-day novel highlights many issues that women deal with today: fertility troubles, workplace womanhood, racism, mental health woes, and so much more! Readers will undoubtedly fall in love with the protagonist, Tabitha, and her two girlfriends who take the world on their shoulders in a tough journey to find their inner Black Girl Magic. If you’re a fan of Terri MacMillan or Omar Tyree novels, you’ll want to grab this one.
Darkness to Light by Lamar Odom
Two-time NBA champion and infamous Kardashian husband Lamar Odom has had his share of star-studded highs and death-gripping lows. In his revealing memoir, Odom gets transparent about the money, fame, drug addiction, and women that caused his life to spiral out of control and how he has managed to find hope at the other end.
Darkness to Light gives readers a real behind-the-scenes glimpse into a life that many thought they knew.
How We Fight White Supremacy: A Field Guide to Black Resistance by Akiba Solomon & Kenrya Rankin
How We Fight White Supremacy is a celebration of black resistance through highlighting many of the doers in the black community today. Amazon describes it best with, “[The book] offers a blueprint for the fight for freedom and justice—and ideas for how each of us can contribute.”
The revolutionary pages feature contributions from favorites like Amanda Seales, Patrisse Khan-Cullors, Michael Arceneaux, Harry Belafonte, Alicia Garza, and 17 others.
Let Love Have the Last Word by Common
Instant New York Times best-seller, Golden Globe, Grammy, and Academy Award-winning actor/rapper Common dropped his second memoir in May and it’s already flying off the shelves. The rapper is known for being introspective and he goes deep in Let Love Have the Last Word.
Getting vulnerable, he shares of his experiences with love and how often he fell short of the goal. Common dives into self-love, God, children, family, partners, and even community, assisting us to comprehend what it means to receive and give love.
More Than Enough by Elaine Welteroth
Described as a part-manifesto, part-memoir, Elaine Welteroth, former Teen Vogue editor (known for revolutionizing the popular magazine through adding pieces dedicated to social consciousness), helps readers to come into their own, on their own terms.
This instant New York Times best-seller even had Yara Shahidi in awe. She shared, “Elaine gifts us all with a beautifully intimate and powerful retelling of her ever-unfolding journey. In sharing her joys, pitfalls, adventures, self-doubt, and successes, she reminds us that through uncovering and discovering the many facets of ourselves, we are more than enough.”
Opposite of Always by Justin Reynolds
This YA fictional love story (with a little sci-fi) is full of so many twists and turns that you will not be able to put it down. The novel tells the story of a boy who swiftly falls in love and is faced with the death of his new love just as speedily. Travelling back in time in an attempt to prevent her death results in him changing other pieces of his reality that he didn’t know could be messed with. Within the depths of the pages you’ll find yourself questioning how you’d act if presented with similar circumstances.
Reynolds has done a spectacular job with this newly-released summer read. Angie Thomas, No. 1 NYT best-selling author of The Hate You Give, said that Opposite of Always is one of the best stories she has ever read!
Patsy by Nicole Dennis-Benn
This heart-wrenching novel pulls on all of the emotions as Patsy leaves her Jamaican hometown and daughter Tru behind in hopes of a better life and rekindling an old flame with a female friend in New York City. Throughout this page-turner, many troubles arise as a result of Patsy’s overzealous evangelical mother, her being an undocumented immigrant in the U.S., and her daughter dealing with the complex struggles of abandonment.
In Patsy, Dennis-Benn gives a voice to those who look to the USA for opportunity, parents who choose themselves over their loved one’s security and highlights the LGBTQ+ community in a fresh way. The book effortlessly alternates between Patsy’s new tough life in the city and her daughter Tru’s journey back home in Jamaica.
Side Chick Nationby Aya de León
Author Aya de León is an award-winning author, activist, educator and spoken word poet. Side Chick Nation is book four of her urban crime fictional series Justice Hustlers, however, it works well as a stand-alone novel. In this remarkable summer must-read, the main character Dulce is tired of her married drug-dealing boyfriend’s antics, steals his cash and flees from Miami to her family in the Caribbean, ditching the side-chick life. The author takes the story on an interesting journey, exploring colonization, climate change and the US government’s response to Hurricane Maria.
Side Chick Nation is an entertaining, insightful, satisfyingly feminist read.
The Greatest You by Trent Shelton
The author, a former NFL player turned inspirational speaker and nonprofit founder, shares his arsenal for success, which he learned through the depths of despair. Prepare to be uplifted and transformed by this self-help read in which Shelton provides personal stories and useful steps to shape readers into their greatest version yet.
The Truth AboutMen: What Men and Women Need to Know by Devon Franklin
DeVon Franklin, an award-winning film & TV producer, bestselling-author, prominent preacher, coach, and husband to actress Meagan Good, dishes it to readers in a way that only he can. He advises that not all men are not, however, all men do share the same struggle. While comparing men to dogs who need a master, Franklin attempts to assist both women and men to get to the root cause of infidelity.
At the end of each chapter in this controversial read, the author shares practical tools and resources for women to empower their men, and for men to assist themselves with their daily hurdles. Amazon describes it as, “a raw, informative, and compelling look at an issue that threatens to tear our society apart yet it offers a positive way forward for men and women alike.”
We Cast a Shadow by Maurice Carlos Ruffin
Ruffin did an impeccable job with his debut novel about a father willing to do anything to protect his son from violence that plagues the black community—including turning him white. For readers who enjoyed Get Out, this brilliant satire piece highlights an all too real reality for many living today. A New York Times book review by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah sums it up wonderfully:
“Love is at the core of this funny, beautiful novel [that] asks some of the most important questions fiction can ask, and it does so with energetic and acrobatic prose, hilarious wordplay and great heart…We Cast a Shadow churns fresh beauty from old ugliness… Read this book, and ask yourself: Is this the world you want?”
What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Blacker by Damon Young
The author, cofounder of VerySmartBrothers.com, debuts with an essay-style memoir full of thought-provoking humor surrounding what it’s like growing up as a black male in America—which for him is an extreme sport.
From publisher Harper Collins: “The act of possessing black skin while searching for space to breathe in Americais enough to induce a ceaseless state of angst where questions such as “How should I react here, as a professional black person?” and “Will this white person’s potato salad kill me?” are forever relevant.”
With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo
Author Elizabeth Acevedo is an afro-Dominican New York Times best-selling author, award winning slam poet, and all around one to follow in the YA scene. The main character in With the Fire on High novel, Emoni, is a teenage mom living with her grandmother who has had to make many tough decisions in her life. With a desire to do right by her child and grandmother, and an equally burning passion to become a chef, we follow her journey to pursue what she believes to be impossible.
Highlighting the reality of poverty, teenage pregnancy, and even the post-pregnancy body, Acevedo hits yet another book out of the park.
Americans In Their 50s Are Expected To Have Over $200K In Their 401(K) Accounts, Experts Say
Have you started thinking about retirement yet?
Experts claim that Americans in their 50s looking at retirement should have $212,400 in their 401(k) accounts on average, which is much more than the median average of $64,300, according to CNBC reports.
Financial experts from the financial planning company Charles Schwab found that the average American believes they should have $1.8 million stashed away in their 401(k), an employer-sponsored retirement tool that allows employees to contribute pre-tax income toward retirement.
However, data from Fidelity Investments found the numbers vary depending on the age range. For Americans in their 40s, the average is a little over $124,000, while the median is only $41,600 for a 401(K)—Americans in the 30-age bracket average over $56,000, with a median of under $23,000.
Lastly, Americans in their 20s fit in at $17,700 with a small median of $6,700 in a 401(K) account.
The numbers also depend on who has a 401(K) account as an AARP survey revealed that 20% of adults age 50 and over say they have no retirement savings. AARP’s senior vice president of research, Indira Venkateswaran, said the lack of savings is due to an increased cost of living.
“Everyday expenses continue to be the top barrier to saving more for retirement, and some older Americans say that they never expect to retire,” Venkateswaran says.
Another reason is the structure of retirement. Fidelity’s “2024 State of Retirement Planning” study found close to 60% of Americans plan to continue working, at least part-time, while in retirement. Retirement expert Anne Lester says that mindset is beneficial in two different ways: allowing retirees to save more and allowing the savings to last for a shorter time span.
“Doing that allows you to save more and your savings will need to last for a shorter amount of time because the years you spend in full retirement will be shorter,” Lester said.
“So, you’d actually need less money than you otherwise would.”
The expert also added being able to tap into Social Security benefits. The earliest Americans can start receiving Social Security benefits is 62, but contingent on when a person was born, they may be forced to wait until they reach the full retirement age to get 100% of the benefits.
The full retirement age for persons born after 1960 is 67. Lester says a delay is beneficial as the Social Security benefit increases by 8% each year a person waits to claim full retirement age and age 70.
“That’s sort of the triple benefit of waiting to retire,” she said. “You have longer to save, you have a smaller amount that you need to save and your Social Security income will be higher.”
According to Business Insider, people in their 50s approaching retirement should take advantage of catch-up contributions and maximize 401(K) savings. Experts say to finalize retirement goals, continue saving as much as possible, and avoid high-risk investments.
Job Concerns Rise Amid AI’s Impact On The Gaming Industry
Gaming industry experts are concerned about the rise of AI technology within the field and what it means for their jobs.
Artificial intelligence (AI) has been taking many industries by storm, however, its impact on the gaming industry is leaving a lot of people concerned about their future in the field.
Video game developers are troubled by the evolution of AI technology and its ability to generate images, such as 2D animation, which is what their careers depend on. Thanks to OpenAI image generator DALL-E and Vizcom, layoffs are rising within the gaming industry and a new investigation showcases the direct impact it has on those who have built careers within the space.
In spring 2023, an email issued by Activision’s then-chief technology officer, Michael Vance, revealed that AI was “top of mind at the video game publisher.” While systems were still being tested, it was reported that what experts at the company had seen thus far held “a ton of promise.”
“There’s a ton of anxiety for artists across the board with AI,” said environment artist, Molly Warner, who worked on an Overwatch game at Blizzard Entertainment, Activision’s corporate sibling, at the time Vance’s note was sent out. “Pretty much everyone I know is vehemently against the use of AI-generated images.”
Former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick shared his take on the use of generative AI within the gaming industry and its impact during a company-wide meeting in May 2023, noting that AI technology could have both a positive and negative effect on individuals working in the field.
“I’ve known Sam Altman and the folks who are working at OpenAI for a long time,” he said in a recording obtained by Kotaku. “I don’t know how much people realize that a lot of modern-day AI, including ChatGPT, started with the idea of beating a game, whether it was Warcraft or Dota or Starcraft or Go or Chess.”
Kotick added, “One of the things that I’ve experienced over the last year is that same feeling that I had when I saw that first Macintosh, about how meaningful the impact of AI would be on society, both positive and negative.”
While there has been no direct link to tie job loss to AI uptake, especially as it pertains to the gaming industry, it has been reported that a total of 1,900 jobs were cut from Activision’s gaming division just a month after Microsoft completed its acquisition of the gaming conglomerate in October 2023.
Moreover, CVL Economics revealed that gaming is in the lead for AI uptake in a study that surveyed three creative industries: film and television, music, and gaming. Roughly 86.7% of gaming industry jobs reported the adoption of generative AI tools. Similarly, the same report concluded that 13.4% of gaming jobs can anticipate an AI disruption by 2026.
“Getting a job in the game industry is already hard,” wrote one developer in a post shared on Reddit. “But leaving a company and a nice team because AI took my job feels very dystopian.”
In 2023, layoffs took the gaming industry by storm with reports of roughly 10,500 people who were laid off from game development positions.
NBA Inks Deals With Several Networks, Ending TNT Partnership
The league's deal with Warner Bros. Discovery ends after the upcoming season due to unsuccessful last-minute negotiations.
The NBA has renewed its partnership with The Walt Disney Company and signed new contracts with NBCUniversal and Amazon. However, the league’s deal with Warner Bros. Discovery will conclude after the upcoming basketball season, following unsuccessful last-minute negotiations.
“Our new global media agreements with Disney, NBCUniversal, and Amazon will maximize the reach and accessibility of NBA games for fans in the United States and around the world,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a written statement. “These partners will distribute our content across a wide range of platforms and help transform the fan experience over the next decade.”
With the 2025-2026 NBA season, fans will be able to view games through ABC/ESPN, NBC/Peacock, and Prime Video until the 2035-36 season.
This marks the end of the popular “NBA on TNT” series that included the show Inside the NBA. The show features talking heads Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, and Ernie Johnson. The show has been on TNT since its inception in 1988. One of the most-watched sports programs, it has taken home 18 Sports Emmy Awards in over 30 years on the air.
ESPN reported that Warner Bros. Discovery let the NBA know earlier this week that they intended to match the $1.8 billion per year offered by Amazon Prime Video.
“We have reviewed the offers and matched one of them. This will allow fans to keep enjoying our unparalleled coverage, including the best live game productions in the industry and our iconic studio shows and talent, while building on our proven 40-year commitment for many more years,” Warner Bros. Discovery said. “Our matching paperwork was submitted to the league today. We look forward to the NBA executing our new contract.”
Yet, that offer was rejected by the league.
“Warner Bros. Discovery’s most recent proposal did not match the terms of Amazon Prime Video’s offer and, therefore, we have entered into a long-term arrangement with Amazon,” the NBA said on July 24. “Throughout these negotiations, our primary objective has been to maximize the reach and accessibility of our games for our fans. Our new arrangement with Amazon supports this goal by complementing the broadcast, cable, and streaming packages that are already part of our new Disney and NBCUniversal arrangements. All three partners have also committed substantial resources to promote the league and enhance the fan experience.”
After getting word that the NBA is moving on with Amazon Prime Video replacing the TNT package, Warner Bros. Discovery stated they “will take appropriate action.”
“We have matched the Amazon offer, as we have a contractual right to do, and do not believe the NBA can reject it,” TNT Sports said in a statement. “In doing so, they are rejecting the many fans who continue to show their unwavering support for our best-in-class coverage, delivered through the full combined reach of WBD’s video-first distribution platforms. … We will take appropriate action.”
TNT Sports’ statement on NBA media rights: pic.twitter.com/9L3fiFXoDH
